Fertilizer distributor



June 14 1927.

H- R. CLARKE ,532,540 FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR Filed July w 1925 My invention relates to a new" and im tilizer in drv granular form.

Patented June14', 1927 v sinners. GLAR E, or TAR RANT, LABAMA} FERTILIZERYYDISTRIBUTOR Application filed Jul 15,1926; sen-a1 no. 122,699.

proved type of can or vreceptacle designed for the e'lfective distribution by hand of fer- I find that there is alarge and increas ingdemand on the part ofsmall consumers of fertilizer for some. means which will be cheaply manufactured, readily recharged,

and loyd't he' use'ot which theysmall user can eii'ec'tively distribute fertilizer over lawns and. gardens and the like. i I

'Heretofore, wherei fertilizer with a high 7 nitrogen content. has been used the prac the "roundsto betreated and it is of ar was valueless and required. skillful manipu lation: to distribute it uniformly over the lawn.

l have coucei'vedthat a fertilizer high in nitrogen, can be'applied n granular form if means for distributing it is designed to produce itsuniform and light application over ticular importance that the distributor should be of such 1 character that/it can be handled by women and without undue fatigue to the use i i \Vith these objects in View have de signed a can having a handle applied at its closed top end and; having @111 wide; threaded open nec'kat its-bottom end, which neck is covered by afdisk adaptedto be clamped in place by a screw. cap, the disk and 651111131 ing carefully (designed and placed open flings wliich in operating position will registcrand which willpermit the-material in three or more fine'streams to flow cont1nuously from the container when grasped by its handle and thus the distribution ofthe flowing material can be effected by a gen tle an'l easy swlng nginotlon of the can as the user walks, which produces'alight andunig g removed, the'receptacleinverted and filled i'orni distribution of thegfertilizer" with a to interlock the disk with the can; such minimum of exertion; The can can be read ily refilled by removing the screw cap and the perforated disk, In order that the disk may not turn with the top, thus preventing registrationof the holes when it is desired 1 to use the can, I provide inexpensive means means not interfering with the-ready remew-lei the disk wlienre'tilling.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts-which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated "inthe accompanying drawingswhich form a part ofthis specification, and in which i Fig. 1 is a view of the can shown grasped in thehand of the user ingthe act of distributing the fertilizer. 7- g d Fig. 2 is a" partial section. of the canon larged; and

[Fig '3 is a U D ES PATENT. 0am...

bottom plan view of the can V with the disk in place-and the screw ca a partly broken away. i v

Similar reference numerals refer to SlIIll lar parts throughoutthe drawings.v

In the embodiment of invention illustrated, I show a can or receptacle for distributing fertilizer which comprises a cyline drical'body 1 having a solid top or closure 2 and a bottom or closure 3 provided with a threaded neck 4 of large diameter. A screw}:

cap 5 isadapted to interpose a loose disk 6 having a boss or struck-up portion 7, ada t d i 80 j to-engage a corresponding indentation in its seat on the outer end of the neck 4, so that when it is held in engagement with the neck by the cap it will be preventedfromrotating with the screw cap throughout a limited"' angle of rotation.

The disk 6-is provided with a plurality of relatively large diameter 1 holes 8 arranged equi-distantly about the disk near its periphery and the screw cap is provided with a corresponding series of holes 9 similarly arranged and adapted when v the device isin use to be moved into reg-g ister with the holes 8 and when the device is IlOtln use to be moved out of-register with will turnfthus bringing the cap and disk r holes out of register and positively closing the open end of the neck. The receptacle is thereupon again inverted and grasped by the handle 10 and carried to the point of use where the screw cap is shifted to bring its holes 9 into more or less of register with the holes 8 and thereupon the container is swung back and forth causing the streams of fertilizer falling through the registering holes 8 and 9 to be distributed by a swinging movement of the receptacle and spread uniformly over the ground, the rate of distribution being controlled both by the rate of outflow through the registering holes and by the progress of the user over the ground to be fertilized. Vt'henever it is desired to. shut ofl the How of fertilizer, the device is inverted and the cap 5 is screwed more tightly on and this clamps it. and the disk against the open neck in position to seal it as the holes 8 and 9 will have moved out of register.

Though I have described with great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invent ion, what. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A fertilizer distributor, comprising a container having a closed top end provided with a handle, and a bottom provided with an open neck, a disk having apertures therein adapted to seat over the neck, and a screw cap having apertures adapted to mount the disk on the neck and to be adjusted to bring its apertures into or out of registration with the apertures in the disk.

2. A fertilizer distributor in zumordam-c with claim 1, in which the distributor neck is notched and the disk indented to interlock with the notch to prevent rotation of the disk during the limited rotation of: the screw cap incidental to moving its apertures into and out of registration with those of the disk.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

HENRY R. CLARKE. 

